Rooftop Solar Power Capacity Reaches 1.5 GW This Year
The Indonesian Solar Energy Association (AESI) records that the capacity of solar power plants (PLTS) has reached 853 megawatts (MW) as of Tuesday, 21 April 2026. “In total, it could reach 1.5 gigawatts, calculated from the total applications that have been submitted,” said AESI General Chairman Mada Ayu Habsari during her opening remarks at the Borobudur Hotel in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Mada stated that this achievement marks the first time reaching 1 gigawatt (GW). The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has set an installed quota of 2 GW cumulatively by 2028. “However, this has already been exceeded or absorbed faster than the planned target,” she added.
In the last five years, Mada explained, the installed capacity of rooftop PLTS has grown tenfold. The national rooftop PLTS installed capacity in 2024 was recorded at 146 megawatts.
Mada said this achievement is an initial step towards developing 100 GW of solar energy. Although Indonesia has a solar energy potential of 3,200 GW, Mada explained that several supporting factors are needed to accelerate the 100 gigawatt PLTS programme. Among them are inclusive financing as well as acceleration of regulations and permits.
Mada also emphasised the importance of human resource development because, in her view, Indonesia still lacks workers in the green jobs sector. Therefore, Mada said AESI has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Manpower to increase the number of workers in the green job field.
She also urged the strengthening of grid infrastructure, considering Indonesia’s archipelagic characteristics that do not have large grids. Finally, Mada emphasised the utilisation of battery energy storage in all PLTS plants.
Meanwhile, the Director General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Eniya Listiani Dewi, said that overall, Indonesia’s installed PLTS capacity has reached 1.5 GW this year.
Eniya said her ministry is striving to ensure that PLTS implementation is not only massively done on ground-mounted systems but also on rooftops. In addition, the Ministry of ESDM is promoting the implementation of floating PLTS.
She said her ministry is intensively discussing with the Ministry of Public Works to identify all dams in Indonesia that are priority locations for PLTS. She estimated that currently there is 20 per cent occupancy from all dams that have the potential to add more than 15 GW.
In addition to identifying potential, Eniya said the Ministry of ESDM is discussing the deregulation of PLTS. “Perhaps in the future, we do not need to talk about whether it is rooftop, floating, or ground-mounted, but all existing PLTS can be used as energy sources generated by us ourselves,” said Eniya.
Eniya said that the development of PLTS in Indonesia requires a strong national solar energy industry, as it provides a large multiplier effect. For example, creating jobs, driving the manufacturing industry, increasing investment, and strengthening Indonesia’s competitiveness at the global level.
To that end, Eniya said her ministry is also intensively discussing with the Ministry of Industry to identify local companies. “We certainly prioritise the role of these local companies to contribute as developers, so that the multiplier effect can be created quickly,” she added.